Lubbock, Texas ? Everybody was talking about a mouse Monday night. Not Mickey Mouse. Not Minnie Mouse.

The mouse under Aaron Miles’ right eye.

Texas Tech put an end to Kansas University's run at a perfect Big 12 Conference season with a 80-79 double-overtime victory. Tech's Darryl Dora blocked forward Keith Langford's shot late in Monday's game.

Kansas most likely would have outlasted Texas Tech in Monday’s double-overtime marathon if the officials had ruled the KU point guard had been mugged after he grabbed the carom of Jarrius Jackson’s wild three-point brick with 11 seconds left in the second OT.

Kansas was leading 79-77 at the time and, if the officials had judged Miles had been fouled, he would have gone to the free throw line at the other end.

Well, it’s the same old story. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts what a happy Valentine’s Day it would have been.

If the officials did err — and it was a high-level crew headed by the legendary Ed Hightower, the nation’s most recognizable college referee — it wasn’t the first time during the 50 minutes.

Or as Tech coach Bob Knight, a legend in his own right, said: “There are going to be mistakes. I’m not sure anybody but me can referee a perfect game.”

Kansas didn’t lose for the first time in Big 12 Conference play and for only the second time all season because of the zebras. Mistakes even out. What teams have to do in close games is make critical shots.

Perhaps the most embarrassing aspect of the Jayhawks’ 80-79 loss wasn’t the fact that Darryl Dora, who had made only nine three-pointers all season, hit the game-winner.

The Jayhawks should have been red-faced because they allowed only one field goal in each of the two overtimes. To me, Texas Tech’s players looked more gassed than the KU players and it showed because the Red Raiders missed nine of their 11 shots in the extra periods.

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KU’s noteworthy defense was overshadowed, however, by the inability of Wayne Simien and J.R. Giddens to buy a basket in the final 10 minutes. Curiously, Christian Moody notched all five of KU’s points in the first overtime.

If Moody, who has the lowest scoring average among the KU starters, had all five points in that first overtime, it meant one of two things — the Jayhawks were either going to him figuring he would be unguarded or nobody else could make a basket.

It wasn’t the former because Moody’s points came via two stick-back baskets (although one was actually tipped in by Tech’s Ronald Ross) and a second-chance free throw when the Raiders had a player in the lane too soon.

Kansas lost in large part because Simien and Giddens were in chains in the extra period. Simien was 0-for-4 in the first OT and Giddens missed two shots in each OT. They accounted for eight of the Jayhawks’ 12 errant shots.

Simien played every minute of both OTs, yet didn’t score a point after converting a three-point play with 3:32 left in regulation. That’s a stretch of 13 1/2 minutes. Worse, Simien didn’t even get off a shot in the second OT.

Either Texas Tech made an All-American disappear or Simien simply ran out of gas. The 6-foot-9 senior logged all but three minutes of the 50-minute game.

You could fault Bill Self for using his starters too much. He didn’t sub in the OTs until Moody fouled out with 2:25 remaining in the second OT. But Knight did the same thing. Martin Zeno, sort of a Keith Langford in training wheels, played all 50 minutes. Knight’s other backcourt standouts, Jarrius Jackson and Ronald Ross, logged 49 minutes apiece.

Perhaps that’s why Dora, who didn’t start, emerged as the unlikely hero.

Monday night’s loss didn’t do anything to damage the Jayhawks’ championship hopes, but it did place more emphasis on next Monday’s trip to Oklahoma and the Feb. 27 showdown with Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse.

And remember this: The last Kansas team to lose a double-overtime game was Roy Williams’ 1996-97 club and that juggernaut finished with a 34-2 record.